


I'd Trade My Life For One More Moment With You

by thethreebroomstix



Category: The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Genre: Fluff I guess, M/M, Trojan War, brief suicide mention, mentions of thetis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-13
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-05-26 12:28:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6239302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thethreebroomstix/pseuds/thethreebroomstix





	I'd Trade My Life For One More Moment With You

The Trojan War was not an uncivilized war, at least not until later. But before everything took a turn for the worse there were days, sometimes even weeks where fighting ceased, where something resembling normal life, unmarred by battle, took place.  
It was one of these days where Patroclus and Achilles laid in their tent. The atmosphere was as close to relaxed as it could be and the only sound that Patroclus could hear aside from the near silent rise and fall of Achilles’s chest were the waves hitting the shore before being dragged back out again.  
Achilles’s head was on Patroclus’s lap and he shifted slightly, just enough that he could look up at Patroclus.  
“Do you remember, on Mount Pelion,” Achilles started before launching into a description of a lesson Chiron had once taught them. He had taught them how to make a healing remedy from various plant life that grew in the forest surrounding them. Patroclus was unsure why Achilles had brought it up. He remembered it of course, like every moment he had with Achilles, because one day the memory of those moments, once so abundant and taken for granted would be the only thing that remained. Once the gods and their fates and their prophecies took their toll. But that was a thought for another day, or month, or year…..  
Right now, Patroclus was more than content to just have his hand tangled in the gold curls that crowned Achilles’s head. Content to listen to the low voice of the other boy and the story of an easier time he told.  
“Why do you bring it up?” Patroclus asked fondly, once Achilles had finished. The other boy smiled.  
“I was just thinking of how it was before you knew how I felt. And how the entire time Chiron was teaching us all I wanted to do was kiss you.” Patroclus felt something in his chest flutter, his nerves felt alive and buzzing. The way he always felt when he was with Achilles.  
“You had to have known how I felt.” Patroclus said, pushing a strand of hair out of Achilles’s face. “After the day on the beach.” Achilles stretched up his hand to cup Patroclus’s face. His hands were strong but gentle, the pads of his fingers soft and warm on Patroclus’s skin. Achilles shook his head, just slightly.  
“I thought I had ruined any chance we had when I ran.” He said, sitting up and wrapping his arm around Patroclus. Achilles had told Patroclus why he ran that day, years ago.  
It was their first night back in the palace after Achilles had been summoned from Mount Pelion. Before Thetis had drawn him away in his sleep and brought Achilles to Scyros. They had laid together in Achilles’s room in comfortable silence. Their time together had not had a deadline then. The war was a distant threat and any prophecy predicting Achilles’s death was unheard of by either of them. Patroclus had shifted in the darkness to face the other boy, faces so close together that their noses touched.  
“Achilles?” Patroclus had asked. “Why did you run the last time we were here?” Achilles had stayed silent for a brief pause, his hand still tracing patterns over Patroclus’s back, bringing nerves to life.  
“I was scared.” He answered simply. “The other boys loved their serving girls and maidens, or at least loved being with them, and I…. didn’t want that. I only wanted you Patroclus. And all of a sudden I was faced with that and I couldn’t bear it.”  
That had been several years before but the way Patroclus had felt about Achilles in that moment and every moment before and after that had never changed.  
“You could never ruin your chances with me Achilles. It will be this always.” The word always hung heavy in the air like humidity, suffocating them.  
So softly, that if Patroclus had been any farther away he would not have heard it Achilles said;  
“We do not have always.”  
Patroclus knew this but every time he was reminded of the prophecy, the pain felt just as raw as the first time the words had left Thetis’s lips. It was easy to live with and ignore at most times, but sometimes the weight hung heavy over them, following them like a shadow. Patroclus pressed his head into Achilles’s chest.  
“I will find you in Hades after. I will be there not long after you.” Achilles hand twitched where it rested on Patroclus’s back.  
“Pat, you cannot you must not-” But his words were cut off by Patroclus’s.  
“Achilles I could not live a life without you.”  
“You will have to.”  
Patroclus did not answer Achilles. He had made up his mind long ago, the second Achilles had chosen to come to Troy, even though it meant death, Patroclus had made the same decision.  
Achilles’s voice broke the silence. “Let us not dwell on sad times to come. We have right now and that is enough.”  
Yes. Patroclus thought. We have today and we will have tomorrow and days after that. Maybe weeks or months or years too. Maybe Achilles with his infinite strength would find a way to wrestle more time from the hands of the gods, and maybe the fates would look favorably upon them and allow it.


End file.
